Глава 14

You and our Leader... our dear father. Who will be the one to approach the throne?

Salus reaches for the drop of blood at the top of the altar.

Originium burns, and the myriad souls roar.

The powerful witchcraft quickly turns her fingers into charred black crystals.

I want to see it so badly...

The origin is so near.

You—

You've hid well.

It took a long time to find you. Too long.

Traitor!

How many have you killed on your way here?

...Not more than I killed when I escaped.

The underground labs were full of the dead back then... our dead.

You ruined our Leader's plans at the Royal Academy of Sciences. The Victorians almost found out about it because of you!

I wish he had never succeeded.

Ha... that's not what you used to say.

How dare you act high and mighty, when you were the one who gave us our orders!

That cave outside Londinium, all the research bases... was there any part of it that you weren't in charge of?

The Leader was in Kazdel most of the time. You were the one who directed the research. You looked exactly like the Leader with your mask on!

I had no choice back then.

No choice? What about the things you said when you took us to Londinium and had us don this mask?

We were mere mercenaries, but we believed in the Confessarii's teachings, believed in the 'First and Final Path' that you preached!

Our original sin, the sin that outsiders imposed upon us, will be washed away at its coming.

Was that all a lie?

I wish that was a lie.

it wasn't a lie... it was real. All the Leader's promises to us were sincere. The same for you, Qui'saršinnag, even if you have strayed from the path...

The Leader and the Regent are so close to victory.

The freedom and power that have been lost for thousands of years are about to return to the hands of the Sarkaz.

Kill me if you want.

Go and see the Leader. Your father.

He is waiting for you at the end of the path. They're all waiting for you.

You will witness it for us, for every life that your sword took.

Shining removes the guard's mask.

She remembers the face. He was one of the first mercenaries that the Confessarii brought to Londinium.

They knew nothing at first. They were only tasked to excavate the ruins outside the city.

The young man had expressed his gratitude to her directly, thanked the Confessarii for giving them a safe, well-paid job.

It was not long before she stopped hearing those words.

The Leader of the Confessarii came to Londinium.

There were no more idle mercenaries drinking and playing games. Everyone put on the same mask, and did not speak except when necessary.

They had no special bloodline. Qui'sartuštaj should not have been able to control their will so easily.

But the part of them that belonged to themselves died before the great dreams of the Confessarii.

It was she who killed them first.

This sin...

...has gone on long enough.

The mask cracks. The pieces stab at Shining's palm.

She continues her journey to the top.